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US 2023/0339017 A1Published application
Robotized ladle transportation device system with embedded manipulator
AssigneeVesuvius Group, S.A.
InventorsDamien Delsine, Jean-Luc Renard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metal casting installation is provided that includes a robot configured for carrying out the operations of handing a new ladle shroud to a manipulator of the ladle located at the loading station, and coupling a driving device to the ladle slide gate each manipulator is fixed relative to the corresponding first or second ladle such as to move together with the corresponding first or second ladle between the loading station and the casting station.
Claims19
A metal casting installation comprising,
- (a) a loading platform (20),
- (b) a tundish (1),
- (c) a first ladle (11) and a second ladle (12), each of the first and second ladle comprising,
- a floor provided with an opening (11o, 12o),
- a ladle shroud (13a-13c),
- a ladle sliding gate (15) comprising a collector nozzle (14) configured for reversibly receiving and supporting the ladle shroud, the ladle sliding gate (15) being further configured for being coupled to a driving device (17) for actuating the ladle sliding gate between a sealed position wherein the opening is sealed and a casting position wherein the opening is in fluid communication with the ladle shroud (13a-13c),
- (d) a first and second ladle shroud manipulators (35) for holding the ladle shroud (13a-13c) coupled over the collector nozzle (14) of the first and second ladles, respectively,
- (e) a transportation device including a turret (30) or a ladle car, the transportation device comprising at least a first holding device and a second holding device for holding the first ladle (11) and the second ladle (12), respectively, wherein the transportation device is configured for moving and holding in place the first and second ladles (11, 12) between a loading station, adjacent to the loading platform (20), and a casting station, over the tundish (1), Characterized in that,
- the metal casting installation comprises a robot (21) configured for carrying out the following operations on the first or second ladle (11, 12) which is held in the loading station,
- handing a new ladle shroud (13b) to the manipulator (35) of the ladle located at the loading station, and
- coupling a driving device (17) to the ladle slide gate (15) each manipulator is fixed relative to the corresponding first or second ladle (11, 12), such as to move together with the corresponding first or second ladle between the loading station and the casting station.
8 more elements
A method for casting a molten metal comprising,
- (a) providing a metal casting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein,
- the first ladle is full of molten metal (2) and is in the casting station and
- the second ladle (12) is full of molten metal (2) and is in the loading station,
- the ladle sliding gate (15) of the first ladle (11) is in the sealed position, is coupled to one or more driving devices (17), and is provided with a ladle shroud (13a-13c) held over a collector nozzle (14) by the corresponding manipulator,
- the ladle sliding gate (15) of the second ladle (12) is in the sealed position and comprises a collector nozzle (14) fixed to the lower plate (15d), and comprises no ladle shroud (13a-13c) and no operational driving device (17),
- (b) bringing the ladle sliding gate (15) of the first ladle (11) into casting position for casting molten metal from the first ladle (11) through the ladle shroud (13a) into the tundish (2),
- (c) during the preceding step,
- handling with the robot a new ladle shroud (13b) to the second manipulator of the second ladle (12),
- coupling and holding in place with the second manipulator (35) the new ladle shroud (13b)over the collector nozzle (14),
- coupling with the robot (21) the driving device (7) to the sliding plate gate (15) of the second ladle (12),
- (d) when the first ladle is substantially empty, bringing the ladle sliding gate (5) of the first ladle (11) into sealed position, followed by
- (e) swapping positions of the first and second ladles by moving the first ladle (11) from the casting station to the loading station and, concomitantly, moving the second ladle (12) from the loading station to the casting station,
- (f) bringing the ladle sliding gate (15) of the second ladle (12) into casting position and casting molten metal from the second ladle (12) through the ladle shroud (13b) into the tundish (2).
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.